BBC Worldwide and Emirates join forces to bring CBeebies to the airline’s youngest international travellers

When you think of Emirates, you think luxury. Private dressing cabins with showers, five-star meals, impossibly posh airport lounges in far-flung locales. You name it, Emirates has it…usually in spades.

So, when Emirates decided to launch its first-ever branded channel for children aged six and under, naturally, they turned to the best – BBC Worldwide’s hugely-popular, CBeebies. Encouraging children to learn through play, CBeebies is a multi-platform brand for preschoolers that has been educating and entertaining the BBC’s youngest audiences for years.

Home to such award-winning children’s programmes as Charlie and Lola and Nina and the Neurons, the bespoke CBeebies channel on Emirates will also air several titles from the international CBeebies television network, including Andy’s Wild Adventures, Baby Jake and Mr Bloom’s Nursery.

“We’re delighted to partner with Emirates to bring the BBC’s flagship preschool brand CBeebies to its ice in-flight entertainment system,” says Zina Neophytou, travel distribution director, EMEA, and BBC Worldwide Channels. Neophytou, who brokered the deal for the BBC Worldwide, says she worked closely with Emirates to “tailor the new channel to complement their existing entertainment offering”.

Emirates has been offering the BBC’s award-winning programming – with it’s hip, eclectic mix of classic series such as Absolutely Fabulous and Fawlty Towers and newer offerings like the BAFTA-winning Sherlock and the landmark documentary series Frozen Planet – to their passengers for years and have been keeping them up to date for almost a decade with the BBC’s Live Text News and Sport service. But, adding a dedicated children’s channel like CBeebies to its already vast selection of children’s TV offerings is something new for the carrier.

“Emirates believes that providing the best in inflight entertainment is one of the key factors in a successful flight,” says Patrick Brannelly, Emirates’ VP corporate communications product, publishing, digital & events. “Adding the dedicated CBeebies channel is just another example of how Emirates meets the needs of our passengers – be they young in age or young at heart.”

Ian McDonough, SVP & general manager EMEA, BBC Worldwide Channels couldn’t agree more. “This CBeebies branded channel on Emirates will keep young fans entertained and bring yet more children on a journey of learning and discovery.”

And if that doesn’t work, I know a few globetrotting toddlers that would just love to build blanket forts in one of those Emirates private dressing cabins.

Look for the branded CBeebies channel to roll out on Emirates flights everywhere on 1 November.